Patient Long Enough
by WillSherJohnKhan
Summary: A follow up to my story 'Complicated Little Emotions'.


Sherrinford...

The immediate aftermath to those disturbing events had included Eurus's re-incarceration. This time to a significantly more robust and secure installation. Then there was the retrieval and return of Victor Trevor's remains to his grieving parents, allowing them to finally lay him to rest. And last but by no means least, was informing Mr and Mrs Holmes that their daughter was very much alive.

221B BAKER STREET

Six months on and Sherlock was still adjusting – physically, mentally and emotionally to the discovery that he had a younger sister who was not only an era-defining genius, but also a psychopath and a murderer.

The emotional toll from the fallout, not only from what Eurus had done, but all that Mycroft (and Uncle Rudy before him) had concealed 'for the better good', and the impact of the memories that had resurfaced after being suppressed for so long could have been overwhelming enough to send him back on 'the sweeties' as John termed them, if not for Molly Hooper.

From the moment he'd explained about the phone call, and they'd reaffirmed their feelings for each other, this time face-to-face and in the full knowledge that they were both speaking from the heart had seen a subtle shift in their relationship.

For as much as they were both eager to explore the physically intimate aspects of being a couple, Sherlock remained hesitant, not because he was uncertain of his feelings for Molly, he did love her, and that love, now that he was free to acknowledge it, only grew with every passing day. What held him back was the certainty that he was bound to cock everything up so completely that he would lose Molly forever. And that was a thought he simply couldn't bear.

So in a desperate attempt to avoid the inevitable he had kept himself busy. And as luck would have it there was plenty that required his attention.

Eurus

Eurus had been in a catatonic state since her re-incarceration, and Sherlock's primary concern was to find a way to connect with her. The answer was an obvious one, their mutual love of music. Sherlock flew out to Sherrinford once a week, taking his violin with him.

Progress was slow. At first she refused to acknowledge his presence, always keeping her back to him. Then one day she got up from her bed, and stood facing him. As the weeks went by, it was clear she was listening carefully to his playing.

Until finally she picked up her Stradivarius, and began to play...

Parents

His parents had shown remarkable strength when he and Mycroft had informed them that Eurus was alive. They had been shocked initially of course, that shock quickly turned to anger and outrage, directed at Uncle Rudy and Mycroft. But gradually they understood why those steps had been taken. That didn't mean they liked it, but they accepted with grace the good intentions behind the deception. It made Sherlock realise how badly he had underestimated them, dismissed them.

Given all that had happened, not only Eurus, but the recovered memories of the child he had once been, Sherlock felt a need to re-connect with his parents and to form a new relationship with them.

To that end he had begun visiting them more regularly, and Molly often accompanied him. His mother and father were absolutely delighted to meet the only woman to have ever captured his heart.

His parents happily regaled Molly with stories of the young Sherlock, happy too to finally be able to bring out of the attic the family photo albums, showing their three children, and Sherlock's dear Redbeard, Victor Trevor.

Seeing the photos for the first time was incredibly difficult for Sherlock, but as they flipped through the pages Sherlock became increasingly grateful for Molly's presence, feeling her hand take his and squeezing it reassuringly whenever she sensed his emotions were overwhelming him.

Returning to Work

He was back to taking on cases, both privately and in conjunction with Scotland Yard. And he found to his surprise that the reconnection with his emotions proved a benefit in some cases.

But he was still able to detach from them when it became necessary.

His relationship with Lestrade had always been a good one, but now he regarded Greg as a friend as well as a colleague. He even got on a lot better with Phillip Anderson, who had been reinstated after an extended absence of leave. And even Sally Donovan was becoming more tolerable.

Restoring 221B

The damage caused by the explosion that had ripped through the building had been considerable. But it had proved to be the perfect catalyst to remodel the interior.

Although John had made the decision that he and Rosie would remain living in the home he had shared with Mary, it became a high priority to make 221B Baker St as child safe as possible for whenever Rosie came round to visit. She was now crawling, and was making her first tentative though unsteady attempts to stand on her own two feet. Once she had mastered how to walk there was little doubt that her naturally curious nature would in time become combined with a 'seek 'n' destroy' ethic that would have made her mother proud.

So for her safety, and everyone's peace of mind, it had become necessary to install childproof barriers that would restrict her from entering certain parts of Sherlock's flat. Although any concerns regarding her being exposed to the detectives experiments had been diminished by the converting of 221C into a laboratory that included a large fridge/freezer to contain various body parts.

For the times Rosie came to stay for an extended period of time, due to John working late, or simply because she was spending time with her adoring Godparents. John's old bedroom had been made into a nursery. As well as a crib for Rosie, and a box for her ever increasing number of toys, the room also included a single bed, as Molly usually came round when their Goddaughter was visiting.

Not that she spent any time sleeping there...

"Earth to Sherlock," Molly's softly spoken words brought him out of his Mind Palace, and back into the present.

They were lying in bed, he on his side, his upper body supported on his left arm. Molly lay facing him, her left hand gently stroking his cheek.

Sherlock took hold of her hand to inspect and admire the simple gold band that adorned her ring finger. It matched perfectly the one he now wore.

He bent and pressed his lips to the band of gold, before laying her hand against his heart as he gazed into her warm brown eyes.

"You agree to marry me without being wined, dined and properly courted. And then mere days after the proposal, are happy to be married in a registry office instead of a church as you so richly deserve. What have I done to deserve you?"

The question was purely rhetorical. He knew without a doubt that Molly Hooper was the only woman for him. She was not afraid to stand her ground with him. She had seen him at his best, and worst. She had been there for him through his highs and lows. She was the only one who could see right through him. And no matter how many times and how hard he'd tried to push her away, she simply refused to leave. Ultimately in the end he'd found it impossible to let her go. She had become his obsession. She was his other half, and he couldn't imagine living without her.

"I didn't need any of those things."

"So what do you need?"

Another rhetorical question, but he asked it nonetheless.

Molly pulled her hand out from under his so she could reach up and pull his head down until their lips were mere millimetres apart. Looking him directly in the eyes, she responded with heartfelt honesty. "What I've always needed Sherlock, you."


End file.
